Death's Destiny
by Ethril
Summary: Kagome isn't the only time traveler, although her way is safer. Our story follows a young girl who falls through ice into a frozen lake. Instead of dying, she is transported back 513 years to Feudal Japan where she is rescued by Kagome and her group. Will our main character find her way home or is she trapped forever in the past? Is she really there or is this just a death dream?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or anything about it. I do own my own ideas and characters.

A/N: ! I'm looking for a beta reader! For this story and for my other stories. I'm going to be revising some of my old stories so a little assistance would be great!

Death's Destiny

By: Ethril

Chapter 1: Frozen embrace

It was a pleasant winter's day in Northern Washington. School was out for the next couple weeks and the lake just outside of town was completely frozen over. Most of the families were out at the lake, all bundled up in their winter gear intending to enjoy the once a year event. Many of the teenagers were already out on the frozen surface, playing ice hockey or just skating around together. Parents were helping their younger children into ice skates so that they too could join in on the winter fun.

One girl in particular was enjoying a leisurely lap around the outer edge of the lake. "Kassandra! Wait up!" A little boy yelled as he followed after the red haired girl. "You know I can't skate as fast as you!" The little boy in question was at least half the height of the laughing girl, and was having trouble in his brand new skates.

"If I go any slower Johnny, I'll fall over!" Kassandra turned around and started skating backwards so she could watch her younger brother. Unlike Kassandra, Johnny had short brown hair. Kassandra had thick, long, wavy red hair. Where Johnny was tan, Kassandra was pale. The only thing the two had in common, were the deep brown eyes.

"Longer strides Johnny, I know you can do it!" Kassandra was all giggles and smiles as she watched her little brother wobble forward on the ice. "If you feel like you're going to fall over, go to your knees." She reminded him before sighing and slowing down. Kassandra came to a complete stop as she waited for Johnny to catch up.

"Sandra, I can't do it!" Johnny let out with a whine as he stopped where he was and went to his knees. "It's too hard!" He let out a wail and in no time at all, their mother came over on the ice to help Johnny up.

Kassandra offered to come back to help, but their mother just smiled and shook her head, motioning for Kassandra to continue on. With that taken care of, the red haired teenage girl spun around and started skating with a little more speed.

Skating was something that Kassandra had been doing all her life. She wasn't a pro skater, nothing like that, but it was a hobby that she enjoyed just for the sake of having fun. She knew the lake she was skating on perfectly. In the summer she would swim in it, in the winter she would skate on it. There was nothing about this lake that she didn't know about.

Her confidence was probably the reason she didn't at first notice the small cracks starting to form on the ice. Kassandra was used to staying near the edge so she could stay out of the way of the hockey players. It wasn't until the second pass over the cracked ice that things went downhill.

There was a loud cracking sound and Kassandra heard someone scream her name. One moment she was skating peacefully across the ice, and the next she was under the ice and sinking into the freezing water. Kassandra struggled for a moment, her chest burning as she reached down to unlace her skates before they could pull her down further. Once free of the cumbersome gear, she kicked her legs and pulled her arms to try and reach the surface.

For a sick moment, Kassandra felt like she was in a horror film as her hands came in contact with solid ice instead of the hole she had fallen into. Kassandra blinked and squinted her eyes as she swung her hands out over the ice to find a weak spot or the broken ice so she could pull herself out. Even after she stopped flailing so she could get a better view of the ice, she still couldn't find her way out.

Her air was almost gone, her chest was burning, and her clothes were completely soaked through. Kassandra was starting to lose feeling in her arms and legs and she didn't know how much longer she could stay in the water before losing conciseness. Kassandra's eyes burned and she finally let out the last breath of air she had.

She couldn't' fight it anymore; the cold or the lack of air. She wished she had gone back to help her little brother now. Kassandra wished she could see her family again. All her regrets and all her happy memories surfaced in her mind just as she gradually began to sink down in the water.

Unwilling to look up at the glassy surface of the ice anymore, she closed her eyes and gave in to the darkness that was growing around her. With her eyes closed Kassandra didn't see the water around her turn purple.

She was just about to completely lose consciousness when a hand grabbed onto her outstretched arm and pulled her up. Kassandra was so cold that she didn't notice a difference between the water or the air. Hands on her chest roused her some and after a few hard compressions she coughed and tried to roll onto her side.

"She's freezing cold!" She heard a male voice comment loudly as her clothes were pulled at. "It's early summer, how is she that cold?"

"I don't know Inu-Yasha, let's just get a fire started." An annoyed female voice replied. "Sango, grab my sleeping bag and a couple extra blankets!"

That was the last thing Kassandra heard before she passed out again. She did wonder why someone would be starting a fire when they should be calling for an ambulance. It wasn't like the hospital was that far away.

Warmth. That was the first thing Kassandra noticed when she started waking up. She was warm. The next thing she realized was that she was lying on the hard ground instead of in a bed. There were voices speaking quietly around her and she could smell a fire burning not too far from her.

Kassandra let out a groan, alerting the people that saved her that she was waking up.

"Move slowly," A gentle female voice told her as she tried to sit up. "My name is Kagome." Kassandra looked up into a pair of brown eyes. The girl looked to be Asian with her raven black hair and her dainty physique. She had on a green school girl uniform and Kassandra was reminded of those anime's her friends would always watch.

The girl who had identified herself as Kagome looked over at her companions. "That's Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, and Inu-Yasha."

The first two people who were introduced looked to be relatively normal, even though they dressed strangely. She lived in Washington though, one of the Great Northwest states that had a large Asian population so their clothes weren't too strange.

Kassandra's eyes went wide and she groaned softly as she held her head for a moment. The cat looked like it had more than one tail. She figured it was just fluffy enough that it gave off that appearance. Any rational thoughts or explanations for what she was seeing went away when she was introduced to the last two members of the group.

They had to be going to a party, they had to be. But why would the one girl, Kagome, be wearing such thin clothes in the winter? "Where are my parents?" Kassandra asked, deciding not to think to hard about their costumes. "I should probably get to a hospital."

Kassandra froze in surprise. She hadn't noticed before, but she definitely noticed now. She wasn't speaking English. She knew what she was saying, she understood what was being said to her, but none of it was English! Kassandra grew confused and she fought to stay calm as the group started talking around her.

'Ok, think rationally.' Kassandra instructed herself as she looked down at her lap. Her parents weren't here, which was strange enough. The air was warm, warmer than it should have been with a fire going. She didn't recognize the area she was in. She was speaking a foreign language even though she only knew English. The people that had saved her were dressed strangely. She would have thought this was all some big prank, except she honestly didn't know any other languages. She also highly doubted people would purposefully drop her into freezing cold water as part of a prank.

"I'm dreaming." That was the only logical explanation. "I'm sinking in freezing cold water and now I'm dreaming." The people around her stopped talking.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. When they had first pulled the red haired girl out of the water, Kagome knew she was from the future. When the girl had mentioned a hospital, Kagome was sure. The best thing to do right now was to keep the girl calm so they could gently explain things to her.

"What's your name?" the little red haired boy asked as he hopped over to Kassandra.

Kassandra wanted to wake up, but that would mean waking back up in the freezing water where she was dying. "Kassandra." She might as well play along with the dream since she had no other real alternative.

"You have hair like mine!" Shippo pointed out as he reached out to touch her long red hair that was loose and damp.

Kassandra smiled a little. In her life she'd only run into a couple people with hair as red as hers. Her father being one of them.

"Kassandra…where are you from?" Kagome asked slowly. The girl didn't look like she was from Japan, and even though she was speaking Japanese fluently she had a rather strange accent.

"Oh, um," Kassandra paused. If this was a dream, shouldn't they know that? "Peaceful Valley, Washington."

Kagome's eyes went wide and she chewed on her lip. That was definitely not in Japan.

"That's not a real place." Inu-Yasha said with a scowl. "Look, I don't care where you're from. I saved ya cause you have a jewel shard."

Kassandra frowned at the silver haired guy. She couldn't tell if he was wearing a wig or had actually dyed his hair. "Of course it's a real place! I live there with my family! I go to school there! We go skating on the lake there!" She struggled to get the blankets off of her. "I don't care if this is a dream! I'm going home!" She'd wake up and fight to get out of the water. She wasn't going to just give up and die!

"Just give us the jewel shard first!" Inu-Yasha stood up and pointed at her. "Then you can do whatever the hell you want."

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome frowned up at him and her eyes glinted as she held back a certain word. "Si-Calm down."

Kassandra stood up on wobbly legs. "I don't have a jewel shard." Her hand went to her head as the world spun around her.

"It's hanging off your ear!" Inu-Yasha nearly shouted. He did sit back down though when Kagome sent him a very upset glare.

Kassandra's hand went from her head to her right ear. She didn't wear earrings, she wore ear cuffs; specifically a single ear cuff on her right ear. The one she was wearing today had a thin chain hanging down from it and attached to the chain was a little crystal. She'd made the ear cuff herself after buying the little crystal from a garage sale last spring.

"This isn't a jewel shard! It's an ear cuff!" Kassandra glared at Inu-Yasha. This must be one of the most ridiculous dreams she'd ever had.

"Kassandra, please sit down." Sango, the other woman of the group spoke up. "There's a great deal we need to explain."

Kassandra was tempted to storm off and just leave the group all together, but the gentle request from Sango and the pleading eyes from Kagome convinced her otherwise.

After Kassandra had sat down, the group slowly started explaining things to her. They started from the very beginning, reciting when Kagome had first arrived. One by one each person included their tale. The entire story was too unbelievable for Kassandra and when they were done talking to her, she was silent.

"I can sense jewel shards, that's how we found you." Kagome stated, finally coming to the end of their story. It was night fall by then, and the fire was burning low. "Your jewel shard must have brought you here."

Silently, Kassandra reached up and unclipped the ear cuff from her ear. Once it was off she handed it over to Kagome. "How do I get home?" She asked after a few more minutes of silence. Her voice cracked and she bit her lip to keep from crying hysterically.

"It…it could be possible you could return home with Kagome." Miroku said slowly.

"That might not work." Kagome said with a sigh. "It was winter where Kassandra was from. I do know that the USA is in the Northern hemisphere and that we have the same seasons."

Kassandra was catching on to what Kagome was hinting at. "You think I'm from a different time then you."

Kagome nodded. "What year is it where you're from?" She asked softly. "It's 2000 for me."

Kassandra winced and buried her face in her hands. "It's 2013." Kassandra was 13 years in the future from Kagome. Even if she could go back with Kagome, it wouldn't be her home or time.

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A/N: It's just something I was thinking up while at work. My job can get boring some days so I thought I would just jot down a story idea.

I have no idea where this story is going! WEEEE Fun Time Make it up as you go along plot!

ALSO:! I'm looking for a beta reader for this story and other stories of mine. I'm going to be revising older chapters of many of my stories so I would appreciate some assistance!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha.

Death's Destiny

By Ethril

Chapter 2: Just a person

After everything was explained, Kagome started preparing dinner. Kassandra just tucked her knees up against her chest and wrapped a blanket around herself. Even though it was muggy and warm outside, she felt like she was still very cold.

Dinner consisted of instant ramen, something that Kagome figured Kassandra would at least be able to eat without issues, and then everyone started settling for the night. "We were heading back to the village so I could head home." Kagome told Kassandra as she tried to have a light conversation with the other future girl. "I can grab a few extra things for you while I'm back. Some clothes, a backpack, and a sleeping bag."

Kassandra knew Kagome was just trying to be nice. Maybe she was in shock and that was why she wasn't panicking as much as she should have been. It was quite possible that she was stuck here. Kagome prodded Kassandra gently in the shoulder. "Huh? Oh sure, sounds good."

With that out of the way, everyone proceeded to fall asleep. Everyone except Kassandra. There was something off about the night that was bothering Kassandra. There were no lights except for the stars, the only sounds were those made by the sleeping people around her and the ones in the forest. There was no music playing softly in the background in her brother's room. Kassandra hadn't realized how important all those things were to her at night so she could fall asleep. Now that they were gone, she felt lost. It also didn't help that she hated camping and sleeping on the ground.

After a little while of just lying there with her eyes closed, she finally sat up and slipped out of the sleeping bag that had been lent to her. They weren't too far from the lake and an idea was starting to form in the back of her mind. Kagome and the others had talked about her going through a well to get back to her time. Maybe Kassandra could do the same time but with the lake?

"I know what you're thinking." Kassandra stopped mid step and squeaked when she heard Inu-Yasha speak. She spun around and looked at the silver haired hanyo. His eyes were closed, but his ears were pointing towards her. "You're really stupid you know that?" He finally opened his eyes to look at her.

Kassandra bit her tongue to keep from arguing with the guy. Instead she took a deep breath. "What do you mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Inu-Yasha.

"How deep do you think you were when you came here?" He asked as he looked over at the lake. "I had to swim pretty far down to reach you. And you were freezing cold. You said it was winter in your time. It will probably still be winter if you could go back." He nodded towards the lake. "Even if you could get back, you'd still be trapped under ice in freezing water and running out of air."

Kassandra hadn't thought about that. She looked over at the lake longingly before sitting back down on the sleeping bag. "What would you suggest I do then?"

The question caught Inu-Yasha by surprise. Usually no one asked him for suggestions, he had to normally bark them out as orders so people would even listen to him. And even then Kagome would usually sit him and do whatever the hell she wanted.

Inu-Yasha shifted slightly and sat up a bit straighter. He adjusted his sword that was leaning against his chest and held up by his crossed arms. "Get over it. Maybe you'll find a way back some other way. You sure as hell won't get back if you're dead." He pointed a clawed finger at her. "Make do with what you've got."

Kassandra frowned at him and then sighed. "That's a pretty shitty thing to say." Her words had no force behind them. Her voice just sounded as tired as she felt. "But thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Her eyes felt heavy and she crawled back under the sleeping bag. Her teeth chattered for a moment before she got warm again.

Inu-Yasha was still a little stunned and there was a slight flush on his cheeks. Even though she hadn't liked his suggestion, at least Kassandra had thanked him. Kagome only ever thanked him when he did manual labor for her. Kassandra had just thanked him for a suggestion. A suggestion she didn't even have to use if her mind was made up.

Kassandra slept badly for the rest of the night. She was naturally a light sleeper to begin with, and with the strange sounds and smells around her it only made things worse. She got to sleep some time during the night, but the false dawn was already visible.

Inu-Yasha watched the new girl as she tossed and turned. He remembered Kagome's first night, and how rude and scared she'd been. He hadn't helped much what with watching her as she was bathing. And then commenting how she'd looked like Kikyo in the priestess robes. He knew what it was like to have sleepless nights, he understood what Kassandra must be feeling. At least Kagome had powers she could rely on to protect herself. Kassandra was just a human trapped in the past with a group of strangers and no way to protect herself.

Kassandra woke up to breakfast being cooked. She was completely exhausted so she couldn't remember if she'd had a dream or not.

"Morning Lady Kassandra." Miroku greeted first. "It looks as if you did not sleep well, perhaps you need a companion to hold you at night?" Kassandra turned a bright red and her mouth fell open to deny and refuse the offer. She didn't get the chance to though as a giant boomer rang came into contact with the top of the monks head.

"Hentai." Sango spat at the now unconscious man. "Just ignore him Kassandra. And if he tries to grope you, feel free to hit him." She put her weapon away and took the food Kagome offered to her.

"No worries about that." Kassandra replied with a light sigh. "I get worse comments in school." Being a red head, she often got some rather lewd jokes sent her way. There was this one time a younger boy had been dared to ask if 'the bush matched the tree.' He'd been so nervous about it she only heard about half his question. She'd given him a kiss on the cheek, which had made several of his friends jealous.

When Kagome offered her some food Kassandra shook her head. After minimal sleep, and a near death experience the day before, Kassandra was definitely not hungry.

"Eat." Inu-Yasha said rather gruffly around his own food. "You'll need it for the hike."

"Hike..." It took Kassandra a moment to remember there were no cars in this time period. There were only horses and carts, and it looked like this group had neither. Kassandra scrunched up her face before taking the food. She tried to swallow a few bites before giving up.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not hungry." Kassandra apologized as she looked down at her food.

"Don't force yourself to eat if you're not hungry! You'll just get sick!" Kagome cooed as she took the uneaten food.

Inu-Yasha grabbed at the uneaten food and downed it before Kagome could complain. "Well I'm not letting it waste! Let's go!" He stood up and thrust the now empty bowl at Kagome before heading away from the group.

"You're horrible Inu-Yasha!" Kagome yelled with a huff. "You can't boss Kassandra around! And I could have put the food away for lunch!"

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes and snorted. "Look who's being bossy now."

Kagome turned a bright red and she jumped up angrily. She stamped a food against the ground. "I am not being bossy! You just don't think!"

Kassandra looked back and forth between Inu-Yasha and Kagome. She could have sworn they were a couple, so why were they fighting so loudly?

"Don't worry about them Lady Kassandra," Miroku whispered as Inu-yasha and Kagome continued to fight. "They're like this all the time." He chuckled and shook his head slightly.

This made Kassandra frown. "Hey Kagome?" She always hated it when people fought. When she finally had Kagome's attention she continued. "Inu-Yasha was right. I will need the energy for the hike. You're right to; I'd just get sick if I forced myself to eat. So let's just get going ok?" Maybe if she was around other people in a town she'd be able to get to sleep.

Inu-Yasha smiled smugly. Someone had agreed with him for once; albeit she had also agreed with Kagome. Still, he'd take a victory where he could.

Kagome huffed and just started putting things away in her big yellow bag. The others started following suit and in no time at all, the entire camp site was put away and the remains of the fire scattered. Kassandra offered to carry something, but the others turned her down.

The first couple hours of hiking went fine since it was still morning and the air was still cool. Kassandra learned more about her new companions and she told them stories about her little brother and school. Kassandra winced as she thought about her brother. Even if she could go back with Kagome, her brother wouldn't even have been born yet. Johnny hadn't been born until 2002.

Kassandra didn't notice when noon came around and the air got hotter. She'd been feeling cold all morning and now she'd actually started to feel warm. The others though, minus Inu-Yasha, were panting and sweating.

"Let's take a break!" Kagome said loudly and tiredly. "Find some cool shade and relax for lunch!" Kassandra blinked in surprise as she realized just how hot the others were.

"Feh." Inu-Yasha turned and led the way through a thick grouping of trees until they reached a creek. Kagome whooped and set her bag down before taking her shoes and socks off to splash around in the cool water. Sango and Shippo were quick to follow.

"Will you join them Lady Kassandra?" Miroku asked as he went over to the water to splash some on his face. He'd removed the outer part of his robes early.

Kassandra didn't feel hot! She felt warm, as if she had a light blanket around herself. She didn't even feel thirsty.

"Well?" Inu-Yasha barked at Kassandra. His arms were crossed over his chest as he stared at the new girl. Being so used to Kagome, he had expected the other future girl to complain through the hike as well. But she'd been so silent that he'd actually forgotten she was there for part of the hike.

"I'm fine." Kassandra replied as she lifted her hands up in a shrug. She grinned at Inu-Yasha, not bothered by his grouchy attitude. Her father was a lot like that after work.

The others, who were playing around in the water, hadn't hurt Kassandra. Inu-Yasha though just frowned at her. He'd never come across a human that was so undisturbed by the summer heat. Even Shippo complained more than her.

Inu-Yasha suddenly became tense, his hand going to his sword. "Demon." He stated simply as his drew his sword.

Kassandra stepped back in surprise as the katana turned into a huge sword. The others came out of the water and grabbed their weapons. She had already been told that Kirara could grow in size, but it was still shocking to see the little kitten turned into a cat larger then a lion.

Just as the large bear demon attacked, Kirara and Shippo went over to Kassandra. "We have to go." Shippo told Kassandra as he hopped up onto Kirara.

Kassandra didn't need to be told a second time. She didn't have a weapon and she definitely didn't know how to fight. She only knew basic self defense from that time her mother had signed her up for a mother and daughter self defense class.

Inu-Yasha turned slightly to yell at Kassandra to leave, but she was already on Kirara and the demon cat was already lifting up into the air. "Smart girl." He mumbled as he turned his attention back to the bear demon at hand.

The group was able to dispatch the bear demon fairly quickly; they'd dealt with worse on more than one occasion. The demon hadn't even had a jewel shard.

Kirara landed after the demon was dispatched and the remains purified. "Does that happen often?" Kassandra asked as she hopped off Kirara, Shippo in her arms.

Inu-Yasha shrugged. "Nothing we can't handle!" he grinned cockily. "At least you were smart for a human and left the fight to us."

Inu-Yasha was slammed to the ground by his glowing beads as Kagome told him to sit. "You don't have to be so rude Inu-Yasha." She glared down at the cursing and struggling hanyo.

Kassandra let out a sigh and shook her head. She was starting to think that these two liked to fight with each other. "Isn't that a rather mean thing to do to him?" she asked as she pointed down at Inu-Yasha.

"You bet it is!" Inu-Yasha said around curses as he finally was released from the spell. "I'm not some dog you can boss around!"

Kagome puffed out his cheeks. "Inu-Yasha needs to learn manners! He shouldn't talk to you or anyone like that!"

Kassandra bit her lip as Inu-Yasha and Kagome started fighting again. Honestly? She didn't like those subjugation beads that Kagome used. A person shouldn't be punished for having their own opinions. Maybe…maybe Kagome just enjoyed having control over Inu-Yasha.

"Let's just get going before something else attacks us." Sango said with a loud sigh, stopping the fight between Kagome and Inu-Yasha.

"Feh, whatever." Inu-Yasha crossed his arms over his chest and started walking. The others followed after him after picking up their belongings.

Somehow, during the walk, Inu-Yasha ended up next to Kassandra. The two of them were silent for a time, the rest of the group interacting with each other.

"For a human you're not bad." Inu-Yasha commented after several long comfortable minutes.

Kassandra turned her head to look at Inu-Yasha. She smiled and giggled softly. "You're not so bad yourself." Even though he was grumpy and yelled a lot, it wasn't like he was purposefully trying to hurt anyone. Kassandra knew several people who acted the same way only because they didn't know how else to act.

Inu-Yasha blushed slightly and he looked away from Kassandra. "It doesn't bug you that I'm a half demon?"

Kassandra frowned then. "I don't care. You're still a person. You still have your own personality and opinions. What you are has nothing to do with it." Having come from a country that was very anti discrimination, she had been taught to accept everyone.

Inu-Yasha turned his head slightly so that Kassandra couldn't see him blush and smile. Kagome had said that once and yet at times she still treated him like he wasn't a person. Would Kassandra do the same thing eventually?

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A/N: Second chapter is done. I'm still looking for a beta writer for this story and for the others I will be editing. If you're interested at all, please message me!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha.

Death's Destiny

By Ethril

Chapter 3: New Home

The group spent the rest of the day walking and by sunset they finally made it to the village. Kassandra was a little disappointed when she saw the village. It was smaller than she had first thought it would be. She was used to thousands of people living in the same town, not less than a hundred.

"Come on Kassandra, let's introduce you to Lady Kaede!" Kagome grinned as she looped arms with Kassandra and began pulling her through the village.

Kassandra flushed a bit as people stopped to look at the group. Some of the villagers waved and greeted them while others just stared at the new girl. Typically only demons had hair that red, but the girl didn't look like a demon. In fact she was dressed in clothes that resembled those that Kagome wore.

Kassandra was relieved when they finally made it through the village and to the home of Lady Kaede. "Kaede! We're back!" Kagome called out as she walked into the hut that constituted as a home.

"Welcome back Kagome, I see you have a new companion." An elderly woman wearing an eye patch responded from next to a fire with a cooking pot hanging over it. There was a delicious smell in the air from the food cooking in the pot.

Kagome grinned and nodded, taking a seat on one of the cushions. "Yup! This is Kassandra! We saved her from drowning."

Kassandra shifted nervously as the older woman looked her over. After a minute of that, and Kagome babbling in the background, Kaede finally invited Kassandra to sit down.

"From how you're dressed, I assume you are like Kagome?" Kaede asked as she lifted the lid from the cooking pot to stir the food. "You are not from here." The last part was more of a statement then an actual question.

Kassandra nodded. "It's um…it's a bit more complicated than that." Kassandra then proceeded to explain the situation to the older woman.

Sango and Miroku had gone off to check on things in the village while Kagome had brought Kassandra to Kaede. Shippo had been distracted by the other children in the village. Inu-Yasha though had followed after Kagome and Kassandra. He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the frame.

When Kassandra was done speaking, Kaede stared off into the fire for a long time. With a sigh she sadly shook her head. "Going back with Kagome to her time would not be advisable. I doubt it would even work." She started to stand up to go get some bowls, but Inu-Yasha beat her to it. "And trying to return through the lake will be too dangerous." She took the bowls Inu-Yasha handed to her and began dishing out food for everyone.

"Do you know another way for me to go home?" Kassandra asked. Even before the words left her mouth, she knew what the answer was going to be. It didn't hurt to ask though.

"I'm afraid I don't. This magic is far beyond my knowledge." Kaede looked at the new girl sadly as she handed her a bowl. "We can help you become comfortable here. Provide a hut for you and help you to support yourself."

"I was going to get a few things from my time for Kassandra too!" Kagome added, trying to be as helpful as possible.

Kassandra felt tears prickle her eyes. The only way she would find a way home now was to travel around to try and find some information. But she couldn't do that alone and she knew Kagome and her group had to keep looking for jewel shards. Kassandra was useless in a fight and she didn't have much she could contribute to the group.

Kassandra glanced at Inu-Yasha, who was eating the food he'd been given. She looked at her food and took a few bites. "Excuse me for a minute." She said softly as she set her bowl down and left Kaede's home.

Kassandra didn't wander far once she was outside. She didn't want to risk anything, especially at night. She found a fairly dry spot and sat down on the grass.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she tilted her head back to look up at the stars. Even the stars were different than the ones back home. There were so many and they were so bright up in the sky and it was hard for her to find the constellations she remembered.

"Crying won't fix anything." A harsh and grumpy voice said from behind her. Kassandra didn't even turn to look at Inu-Yasha.

"I know, but sometimes it helps." Kassandra replied as she continued to watch the stars.

After just standing there silently for a minute, Inu-Yasha sat down next to Kassandra. "You should eat." He handed over the bowl that she'd only taken a couple bites out of.

Kassandra looked at the bowl before taking it. She didn't feel hungry, but she didn't feel sick either. "Thanks." She murmured before taking the chopsticks to start eating.

"What are you going to do?" Inu-Yasha asked seriously.

Kassandra sighed and continued eating as she thought about the question. Once she was done she set the bowl down and turned to face Inu-Yasha. "I can't fight." She stated bluntly. "I'd only get in your way if I travelled with you and the others." Her options really were limited. "I guess I'll be staying here until you're done finding all the jewel shards."

Inu-Yasha nodded and looked up at the stars. Kassandra was right; she couldn't really travel with them if she couldn't contribute. "You'll be safer here." He replied with a nod.

Kassandra nodded. She was at a loss for what to say. She had pretty much just admitted how useless she was. Why had she even been sent here if she couldn't do anything to help? Had it just been a fluke because of the jewel shard?

"Hey, Kaede made up a sleeping mat for you for the night. Tomorrow we'll get you moved in to your own hut." Inu-Yasha told Kassandra. "Come on."

Kassandra looked over at Inu-Yasha as he stood up. With the moonlight shining down on him, hitting his hair and making it shimmer, he looked almost angelic. He reached out his hand towards her, offering to help her up.

Inu-Yasha smiled when Kassandra took his hand. He pulled her up a little harder than he had planned and she ended up falling against his chest.

Kassandra squeaked and looked up at Inu-Yasha from where she was leaning against his chest. For a moment time stood still as they looked at each other, blushes on both their faces.

"Sorry!" Kassandra said quickly as she let go of Inu-Yasha and hurried back into Kaede's hut.

Inu-Yasha stood stock still as he stood there, his eyes not leaving the spot where Kassandra had been. His heart was pounding in his chest and he didn't understand. He thought he had been in love with Kikyo and he knew everyone expected him to be in love with Kagome. The thing was though, he knew now that all he felt for either woman was companionship. This fluttering in his stomach and pounding in his chest was completely new to him.

Kassandra was pretty much in the same boat as Inu-Yasha. After crawling in under the blankets of her mat, she buried her face into her pillow to try and hide the bright blush that was there. She'd had boyfriends in the past, she wasn't innocent or naïve, and yet just then she had felt like a girl with her first crush.

Kassandra sighed and closed her eyes, listening to the breathing of the other people settling down for the night.

'Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, being stuck here.' A part of her mind whispered as she thought about Inu-Yasha holding her. That image was stuck in her mind as she fell asleep.

The next morning she was woken up by people talking around her. Kassandra had slept better than the previous night, but it had been a light sleep.

"Good morning Lady Kassandra," Miroku greeted her as she sat up. "We were just discussing where you were going to live here in the village!" He seemed extra happy about having Kassandra living here in the village.

"Oh, alright." Kassandra stretched and then pushed back her blankets. She folded them up and set them on the mat before accepting the bowl of food offered to her.

"Kagome wanted to ask you some questions while we looked around the village." Sango was also all smiles.

As Kassandra looked around she noticed that everyone was smiling brightly. Inu-Yasha wasn't even there. "O-kay." Kassandra said slowly. "What's going on?" She wasn't stupid. Her parents had given her plenty of surprise parties in the past so she knew when people were planning things.

"Nothing! We just want to help you be as comfortable as possible!" Miroku moved closer to Kassandra. "Perhaps when you are settled and happy, you would consider bearing my child?"

"Miroku!" Sango didn't have her boomerang on her, but she did smack Miroku on the head rather hard. "Don't be such a hentai!"

Kassandra was stunned. She'd never been asked to have someone's baby before. A giggle escaped her and then it grew into a full out laugh. Her mood lifted and she gave her new friends a full smile. "You know what Miroku? If I really am stuck here I might consider it!" her eyes glinted mischievously.

"R-really?" Miroku was surprised to say the least. He honestly only asked anymore so he could get attention from Sango.

Kassandra nodded. "Maybe. But I honestly think you're interested in someone else." She poked at Miroku.

Miroku shrugged, but continued smiling. He wouldn't deny the fact that he was interested in a specific someone. He didn't want to ask her though until after they defeated Naraku. She was too special for him to lose.

"Ok! You guys go look around the village! I'll talk to Kassandra for awhile!" Kagome pushed at the fuming Sango and then glared at Miroku. Once they were out Kagome started giggling.

"Those two make a cute couple!" Kassandra commented around her own giggles.

Kagome nodded as she sat down laughing. "If only Miroku would stop asking every woman he meets to have his child!"

Kassandra's chuckles died down and she sighed. "So what did you want to talk about Kagome? Or are you just the distraction while everyone else sets up the surprise?" She scooted back so she could lean against the wall.

Kagome blinked and then grinned. "It's a bit of both. I really do have some questions to ask." She pulled out a notebook and pen. "When I head home is there anything that you want me to grab for you? I already have a few things written down, but I just want to make sure."

Kassandra sighed and closed her eyes. "The strongest sleep aid you can get." She replied as she thought about everything she would miss. "It's hard for me to fall asleep most nights normally. It's worse when I don't have my medicine."

Kagome jotted that done. "I'll see what my mom can get."

For a couple of hours the two of them went over the things that Kassandra would need. They both figured that eventually Kassandra would settle in well enough that she wouldn't need future things anymore. Until then though, Kagome would help Kassandra in any way she could.

"Hey Kassandra…I had an idea." Kagome started to say slowly. "Why don't you keep a journal?"

Kassandra frowned a bit. She wasn't much of a writer and she'd failed every time she'd tried to keep a journal in the past.

Kagome continued on when Kassandra didn't answer. "I was thinking that maybe if I can still travel back and forth through time by 2013…I could maybe send the journals to your family. Let them know that you didn't die in that lake?"

Kassandra continued to frown. "They wouldn't believe it." Even if she filled the journals with every single personal piece of information she knew, it was highly possible her family would still not believe it.

Kagome shrugged. "It was just an idea. At least then you would have something to do." She'd grab a few notebooks for Kassandra anyway.

"Well I think I have everything! Let's go see what the others have figured out!" Kagome glanced at her watch to check what time it was.

Kassandra could see how excited Kagome was. Whatever the surprise was, it sure did make everyone happy. "Alright. Thanks for all of this Kagome." She stood up and stretched, her legs having fallen asleep a couple times while sitting there.

"It's no problem Kassandra. I know what it's like to be stuck here without anything you need." During her first visit to the past, Kagome had had no idea how to get home. "Come on!"

Once again Kagome looped arms with Kassandra and started dragging her along. Kassandra was only half listening as Kagome babbled on and on about different things and the people that lived in the village.

Kassandra didn't know exactly where they were going. Each hut they passed looked like it was occupied by someone. Finally she saw a little bundle of fur running towards them.

"Kagome! Kagome! We're all ready!" Shippo jumped through the air once he was close enough to Kassandra. Kassandra's eyes went wide and she quickly caught the little red fox demon.

"Kassandra you're gonna love it!" Kagome quickly quieted shippo down so he wouldn't ruin the surprise.

Kassandra giggled as Shippo squirmed in her arms. "You gotta close your eyes!" Shippo continued to squirm until Kassandra finally closed her eyes. She heard someone move up behind her and put their hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I'll be a complete gentleman!" Kassandra could hear a laugh come from Miroku and she could almost feel the glare he must have been getting from Sango.

With her eyes closed and Miroku guiding her around, Kassandra was completely in the dark about what was going on. She knew they were probably taking her to her new hut, but why all the secrecy and surprise?

"Ok, you can open your eyes!" Miroku let go of Kassandra once they had stopped moving.

Kassandra opened her eyes and blinked several times to get used to the change in light. Once her eyes were cleared she gasped.

In front of her was a lovely, medium sized, hut. There was a newly tilled garden next to it and lovely fabric curtains covering the doorway and the windows. "This is…I don't…" Kassandra was at a loss for words. The roof looked new, the walls were clean, and there was even a little fence around the garden.

"Well?" Inu-Yasha asked gruffly from next to Kassandra.

"This…this is more than I expected!" Kassandra had thought that maybe they would get an old abandoned hut ready for her. This looked like it had just been built.

Inu-Yasha huffed and waited for Kassandra to say more.

"I love it, thank you!" there were tears in Kassandra's eyes, but she wiped them away with one hand. "You've done so much and you barely know me!"

"Oh Kassandra!" Kagome came up and gave the tearful girl a quick hug. "You're our friend now! We take care of our friends and family!" Kagome returned Kassandra's watery smile. "Come on, come look inside! We were able to get some extra furniture for you! It's not much now but in time it'll be great!"

Kagome took Kassandra inside and Inu-Yasha could hear the happy exclamations from the new addition to their group.

"You know," Miroku sidled up to Inu-Yasha as the girls continued to explore Kassandra's new home. "You didn't have to stay up all night to build this place."

"Feh." Inu-Yasha cursed and stuck his arms in his sleeves.

Miroku raised an eye brow at that. "Are you going to tell her you built most of this place on your own?"

Inu-Yasha cursed again and sent a pointed stare at Miroku. "You say anything and I'll kill you." With that Inu-Yasha turned and stormed away from the little hut.

A secret and slow smile spread across Miroku's face. This was definitely going to be an interesting turn of events.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

N/A: Alright, third chapter is done! I still don't know if the pairing is going to be Kassandra/Yasha yet or not. I'm leaning towards it, but like I said this is going to be a "Make it up as I go along" plot story.

Still looking for a beta reader.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha.

Death's Destiny

By Ethril

Chapter 4:

With Kagome gone for about a week, it gave Kassandra time to learn about her new home. She met several of the people in the village, learned about washing clothes, and had even started working in her little garden. Her new friends tried to be as helpful as they could. Kaede and Sango started teaching her about different herbs that were useful, Miroku kept her laughing with jokes and even taught her how to meditate, and even little Shippo kept her occupied by playing with her.

It was on the third day that Kagome was gone that Inu-Yasha went to Kassandra's hut with a short sword in his hand.

"Good morning Inu-Yasha! It's good to see you!" Kassandra greeted the silver haired hanyo as he approached her. She was carefully watering the newly planted herbs in her garden. She was hoping that maybe she could use the herbs to trade for rice or other supplies in the village. She didn't want to be completely dependent on the kindness of others.

"Come on." Inu-Yasha reached out and gripped onto one of her arms and helped her out of the little garden.

Kassandra frowned at Inu-Yasha for a moment. "What's wrong Inu-Yasha?" She didn't try to pull away as he tugged her along. "Where have you been these last few days?" Miroku and the others had told her that Inu-Yasha often disappeared after Kagome went home so she hadn't worried too much when he had vanished shortly after Kagome had left. Kassandra was curious though as to what he had been up to.

Inu-Yasha glanced at Kassandra and her wide brown eyes. He couldn't decide if she'd been worried or just curious about his whereabouts.

"This is a good spot." Inu-Yasha said, not really answering Kassandra's questions. He had taken her into a wide field with no one around. "Here."

Kassandra looked at the sheathed short sword that was thrust at her and held it gingerly. "Um…Inu-Yasha?" She was confused. She didn't know how to fight so a sword, no matter the size, was useless to her.

"Pull it out." Inu-Yasha commanded as he stood there, his hands in his sleeves. As soon as Kagome had left to head home, Inu-Yasha had gone to Totosai to ask him to make a short sword.

Kassandra frowned for a moment before putting her dominant right hand on the hilt of the sword. It felt awkward in her hand as she pulled the blade free from the sheath and held it up.

The short sword was light. If Kassandra wasn't holding it, she probably wouldn't have noticed its weight at all. As soon as the blade was completely free from the sheath, it changed. What had been a silver metal blade changed so it was a pale blue. It looked like diamond, but when Kassandra touched the blade it felt like ice.

"What…what is this?" Kassandra asked as she held the blade up to the sun to see if it would melt. Even though it felt like ice, the blade did not melt.

"It's an enchanted sword." Inu-Yasha said with a grumble. "You use it to fight."

Kassandra sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know what swords are used for Inu-Yasha." She said softly as she sheathed the sword. "I just…why did you give this to me?" She tried to hand the sword back to him. "I don't know how to fight."

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. "Everyone needs to know how to fight!" He barked at her. "What if you get attacked and I'm not around?" He pointed out as he pushed the sword back towards her. "Or what if you have to defend the village? You can't fight without a weapon."

Kassandra looked at the sword sadly for a moment. Except for her self defense classes, she knew nothing about fighting. She hated fighting. After a few minutes of being glared at by Inu-Yasha, Kassandra sighed and drew the blade once more.

Inu-Yasha nodded before he told her to drop the sheath on the ground for now. Slowly, he began moving her around until she was in a proper 'fight' stance. He kicked at her feet and poked at her arms and sides. Finally he drew Tessaiga and mimicked the stance she was now in. For the rest of the day, Inu-Yasha showed Kassandra the basics on using a sword.

Despite the fact that the blade of her new sword looked fragile it didn't brake no matter how many times Inu-Yasha connected his sword with hers. Many of her blocks were hasty and sloppy, but at least Inu-Yasha moved slow enough so that she could see where he was aiming. After every few hits he would stop and bark at her about what she had done wrong. Even with the glares and harsh words from Inu-Yasha, Kassandra was grateful that he would take the time to teach her.

Kassandra fell into a routine for the rest of the week. She'd work on her garden in the morning; help with any chores around the village after breakfast, then in the afternoon and evening she would train with Inu-Yasha. That was where Kagome found them when she returned from her trip home.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome screamed as she witnessed him tossing Kassandra back so that she fell hard and rolled on the ground. "SIT BOY!"

"Kagome no!" Kassandra was too late as she watched Inu-Yasha slam down into the ground. She quickly stood up and ran over to Inu-Yasha to see if he was alright. Except for his loud cursing he seemed to be fine.

Kagome stormed over and started ranting at Inu-Yasha. "I can't believe you Inu-Yasha!" She started off. "I was barely gone a week and already you're beating up Kassandra? It's bad enough that you fight with Shippo, you shouldn't be trying to hurt other people too!"

Kassandra's eyes went wide and she quickly stepped forward. "Wait Kagome, he wasn't beating me up!" She had a bruise developing on her right cheek from where she'd missed a dodge from a punch. "We were training!"

Kagome huffed as she looked Kassandra over. "It looks more like you're his punching bag."

Kassandra glanced down at herself. Her clothes, which were the ones she had been wearing when they had saved her, were torn and covered in dirt and many places where her skin was visible were bruised.

"Shut up Kagome! She needs to know how to fight!" Inu-Yasha was finally free from the spell and he was standing over Kagome and baring his teeth. "Even you know how to shoot a bow," He sneered at Kagome. "Badly though."

Kagome flushed in anger. She wasn't bad with a bow! Kagome had improved enough that she rarely missed her targets anymore. "Then I'll teach her how to do that! At least then she won't have to put up with you!"

"W-well actually-" Kassandra tried to interject before the fighting got any worse.

"Oh please! You can barely shoot straight! How would you be able to teach her!" Inu-Yasha yelled back.

Kagome took a step back and proceeded to yell sit at least ten times, sending Inu-Yasha deeper and deeper into the ground.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kassandra dropped her sword and quickly jumped down into the hole that Kagome had created using the spell. She looked up at the glaring Kagome and then yelled up at her. "That was completely unnecessary!"

"He was yelling at me!" Kagome was surprised that Kassandra was defending Inu-Yasha. "He's a brute! I mean look at you! Training doesn't require you getting beat black and blue!"

Kassandra frowned up at Kagome. "I agreed to this Kagome. Inu-Yasha is right, I need to know how to defend myself." She was still frowning as she stood up and put her hands on her hips. "And he wasn't the only one yelling," Kassandra pointed a finger at Kagome. "You started it!"

Kagome took a step back in surprise. Kassandra really was defending Inu-Yasha! Kagome didn't argue the fact that she had started it, but she'd been trying to protect Kassandra. Now that she thought about it she had jumped right into yelling at Inu-Yasha instead of asking what was going on.

Kassandra winced when she noticed the hurt expression on Kagome's face. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Let's just all stop fighting ok? It'll be dinner time soon and I know I'm going to need a bath later."

Inu-Yasha sat up once the spell freed him. He was sulking angrily and refused to look up at Kagome. Instead he looked at Kassandra. He felt…strangely happy as he looked up at her. Here was someone that had defended him from Kagome. Sango and Miroku didn't do that, and Shippo usually laughed when Kagome sat him. Kassandra…was actually defending him.

Kassandra climbed out of the hole and went over to Kagome. "Come on. Let's go put your stuff down." She pointed at the many bags that Kagome was carrying.

Kagome started to smile. "A lot of this is yours!" except for the things in her big yellow backpack, everything she was carrying was for Kassandra. "I know it's more then you asked for, but my mom had a few things to add as well."

The situation was defused and the two girls started heading over to Kassandra's hut to at least put her things away. Inu-Yasha stayed in the hole for a few minutes, his arms in his sleeves. There was only one person on his mind currently and he wasn't sure what to do about it. Now that Kagome was back the group would be leaving to continue the jewel shard hunt. This would give Inu-Yasha more time to consider what was going on.

Inside Kassandra's hut she and Kagome were going through and putting things away. Kagome had brought a couple warm blankets as well as a nicer pillow for Kassandra to use. She'd also packed some more changes of clothes so she wouldn't be stuck wearing kimono's all the time. There were also an assortment of small things like bathing supplies, medicines, and miscellaneous things. Kagome's mother had also suggested a few cooking supplies so Kassandra would be able to cook for herself.

"If you need anything else just make a list and I'll grab it on my next trip back." Kagome said with a smile once everything was put away. She folded up the canvas bags she'd brought Kassandra's things in and set them on a shelf that had been added to the wall.

Kassandra let out a little sigh as she looked around her home. It looked more lived in now that it had things on the shelves and new blankets folded up on the mattress. Tears prickled her eyes and a wave of homesickness washed over her. She felt Kagome wrap her arms around her as she closed her eyes and started crying softly. She cried for several long minutes before she was able to calm down and wipe her eyes.

"Thanks Kagome," Kassandra sniffled and blinked several times to clear her vision. "I just...I miss my home."

Kagome smiled sadly and nodded. "I know how you feel. But don't worry! We'll figure out a way to get you home in no time!" She put as much confidence into her voice as she could. She brought a fist into the air as she said it to try and cheer Kassandra up. "But until then, let's go get something to eat and then go soak in the hot springs!"

Inu-Yasha listened from just outside Kassandra's hut as the young woman broke down crying. Her sobs were soft, but each little sound was like a thunderclap to Inu-Yasha. He winced and fidgeted with his sleeves, confused about what to do. Whenever Kagome used to cry he would awkwardly hold her until she calmed down. In this case though, he felt like there was more he should be doing. He was so lost in thought that he only barely was able to jump away from the doorway when he heard the two girls coming out.

"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome looked at the white haired hanyo as he stood a few feet away sulking. She frowned at him and tapped her foot on the ground until he looked up at her.

"Everyone's waiting." He growled out as he turned and stormed off towards Kaede's hut where the rest of the group would be waiting to have dinner.

Inu-Yasha didn't have to look behind him to know that the two girls were following after him. He could hear them talking to each other as they walked. He smiled slightly as he heard Kassandra laugh, the sound felt like music to his ears.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0~

So I've been having job troubles these last few months. I've been trying to work with temp jobs while I search for a full time job, but things have not been working out. Long story short: It took awhile to get this chapter out. Sorry everyone.


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